The Ginkgo Restaurant at The Morton Arboretum was recently certified as a 2 Star Certified Green Restaurant® by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national nonprofit organization helping restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable. The Certified Green Restaurant certification is based on a series of steps that a restaurant has taken towards sustainability.

Using Energy Star equipment, which is 30-40% more effective than traditional models

A comprehensive recycling and composting program, which can divert up to 90% of our waste from the landfill

No use of polystyrene foam (aka Styrofoam™)

Availability of vegetarian menu items

“As the champion of trees, the Arboretum is committed to environmentally-friendly practices,” said Alex Beck, Manager of the Ginkgo Restaurant and Café. “We are thrilled to be recognized as a Certified Green Restaurant for our efforts toward sustainability.”

With new organic menu options, a reduction in throw-away plastic, selling reusable water bottles, and offering water bottle-filling stations free for visitor use, the Ginkgo Restaurant and Café is dedicated to sustainability. For more information about the Ginkgo Restaurant's Detailed Green Label, click here. Link to: (http://dinegreenco.com/customers/featured.asp?ID=RES14189)

About the Green Restaurant AssociationThe Green Restaurant Association is a national non-profit organization that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurant® mark in the country. For 27 years, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant® movement and has been the leading voice within the industry encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand and green their operations using transparent, science-based certification standards. With their turnkey certification system, the GRA has made it easy for thousands of restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable in a profitable manner. The GRA has been featured on CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, and in The New York Times, and The Washington Post. For more information visit www.dinegreen.com.